While the use of human heads as crests was very popular from the earliest rolls, their use as charges on shields came later, as in the arms of Gundelsdorf, c.1340 [Zurich 431]. Some human heads are affronty or guardant by default, but others aren’t; it depends on the type of human.  As a very general rule of thumb, men’s heads face dexter by default, while the heads of children, maidens, &c, are affronty.

The “savage’s head” and the “wild man’s head” are shown with a wreath of leaves on their heads, since the leaves on the rest of their bodies are not in evidence. In other respects, the characteristics of a human head are those of that type of human, and are described under human figure.

As with animal’s heads, human heads must be specifically blazoned as couped or erased; couped heads are far more common.  While the dexter-facing heads are couped at the neck, children and maidens are sometimes shown as a bust, showing the shoulders (and, in the maiden’s case, the bosom).  This is not an ironclad rule, and seems to be artistic license; if the shoulders are meant to be included, they should be blazoned.

One instance exists in Society armory of “heads of St. Cybi”.  St. Cybi was a 6^th Century Cornish bishop, and is shown as a tonsured monk with a mitre.

 

The “Janus head” is taken from representations of the Roman god of beginnings and endings.  We’ve an example from period Italian heraldry, in the arms of Banda, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 276:15; cf. also Woodward 201].

 

 

Also included in this category are the heads of humanoid monsters, particularly those which exist only as a head.  Preeminent among these is the “cherub”, or “cherub’s head”:  a child’s head cabossed, with two wings.  Cherubim are found in the canting arms (Italian angeli, “angels”) of Dianiolli, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 272:277]; Legh, 1576 [84] likewise describes the cherub’s use in armory.

The “seraph”, or “seraph’s head”, is a child’s head cabossed, with six wings; Guillim, 1610 [83] gives an example of its heraldic use (misblazoning it as a “cherub with three pairs of wings”).  In the Society, the seraph’s “proper” coloration is with pink skin, red hair, and rainbow-colored wings.  The seraph should not be confused with the “standing seraph”, a variant of the angel, which is shown with a full body; as an heraldic charge, the standing seraph appears to be unique to the Society.

The “gorgon’s head”, taken from the monster of Greek myth, is a woman’s head with serpents for hair.  As an heraldic charge, it’s shown in Bossewell, 1572 [III.22º].  The gorgon’s head is cabossed by Society default, though many registrations blazon the posture explicitly.  Finally, there is the “demon’s head”, horned and ugly, much like a Notre Dame gargoyle; this appears to be unique to the Society.

 

For related charges, see hat, helm, hood, mask, skull, wind.

 

David of Moorland bears:  Vert, on a bend Or three Moor’s heads couped sable.

Owain of Holyhead bears:  Vert, three heads of St. Cybi proper aureoled Or.

Talanque bears:  Azure, a horned demon’s head erased Or.

Petra Malusclavus Africana bears:  Per pale azure and gules, a gorgon’s head cabossed argent.

John of Coventry bears:  Bendy gules and argent, a Turk’s head affronty couped proper impaled upon a spearhead couped sable.

Staffan Arffuidsson bears:  Azure, three seraphs Or.

Sabina de Almería bears:  Or, a cross flory, on a chief purpure three Janus heads argent.